How to Create an Emergency Ammo Can First Aid Kit

When it comes to having a well-stocked first aid kit, I want to be prepared. I truly do. Having spent weeks at a time on a boat in the remote waters of British Columbia, I have always understood that a drugstore and medical doctor may not be accessible. If sick or wounded, I would be on my own.

So why then, were my first aid supplies in such a disorderly mess?

In hindsight, I believe that in spite of having good intentions, it was a lot easier to keep purchasing supplies then to organize them. It was easy to get something on Amazon then toss it in a drawer or into the large “first aid” bin I keep in the garage. The problem with this method is that I never really had a good handle on what I had and what I really would need in an emergency. I simply kept buying and tossing, buying and tossing. Sound familiar?

I recently decided to do something about it. As I sorted everything out on the floor of my great room, it became apparent that my first aid supplies needed to be broken up into separate kits: routine first aid, trauma, sick room, pandemic, and the all important portable kit that I could grab in the event of a disaster or carry with me on a road trip. It was an epiphany!

Kit #1: A Portable Kit with the Just the Basics

The first kit I put together is a portable kit with just the basics. Before starting, I laid down a few requirements.

1. The portable first aid kit had to include the items that I felt were most likely to be needed during bouts of routine illness and day to day injuries.

2. The kit needed to do double duty as my in-home basic first aid kit as well as a transportable kit that I could use on road trips or during an evacuation.

3. The kit, in total, could weigh no more than 10 pounds.

This was not as easy as I thought it would be given that the weight and space requirement would require some tough choices, not the least of which, was the container itself. My choice? An ammo can!

The “Ammo Can First Aid Kit” was born!

A Portable First Aid Kit in an Ammo Can

After much trial and error, here are the items I settled upon and included in my ammo can first aid kit.

I also left out splints, instant hot/cold compresses, and items more suited to the sick room such as N95 masks, goggles, and coveralls. Also missing are a number of ointments and creams you may find useful but given my penchant for essential oils, I left them out and chose to use natural remedies instead.

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The Final Word

It has taken me three months to put this kit together. I would add things, remove them, then put them back again. One night, while rummaging around in the dark, I realized I needed a flashlight so in it went. Another time, I was dealing with a bloody scrape on my leg and had no where to dispose of the soiled gauze. In went a bag for waste.

And so it will go with your own kit.

Although I have included a lot of reference links, the kit you build should be your own. Personalize it, then make sure you can lift it easily and move it around. Start to use it day to day and before you know it, you too will have the perfect portable first aid kit.

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation! Gaye

Related Articles:

Bargain Bin: Below you will find links to many of the items mentioned to today’s article. Use this as a starting point to build your own Ammo Can First Aid Kit!

MTM Ammo Can: I love these Ammo Cans. They are light weight yet strong plus they are stackable and easy to carry. At $13.99, the price is right and perfect for a portable first aid kit. Don’t forget the Emergency First Aid Kit Sticker!

Living Ready Pocket Manual – First Aid: Fundamentals for Survival: Whether you are miles from help or immersed in an urban disaster situation, every second counts during a medical emergency. This book will help you take quick, effective action to stabilize the situation. One of the best things about this book (other than the information, of course) is it’s size. It is small enough to keep in your bug-out-bag and also in your first aid kit.

Self-Adhering Cohesive Wrap, 2″ Wide: I first learned about self-adhesive bandages when my dog came home from the vet such a bandage wrapped around his leg. A light went off telling me I needed to add some to my first-aid kit. And so I did.

iOSAT Potassium Iodide Tablets, 130 mg (14 Tablets): I never go anywhere without Potassium Iodide. After Fukushima, you just never know when a nuclear disaster will strike unexpectedly and I refuse to rely on the authorities to be there with adequate supplies.

Victorinox Swiss Army Climber II Pocket Knife: This is the Swiss army knife that both Shelly and I carry. It includes the following: large and small blades, two standard screwdrivers, bottle and can openers, a corkscrew, a wire stripper, scissors, key ring, reamer, and parcel hook. In addition, there is a tweezers and a toothpick that pull out of the end.

Tincture of Benzoin: This is another one of those items I had never heard of. Its purpose is to hold a bandage or dressing in place.

Irrigation Syringe, pack of 5: I had a few of these left over from visits to the dentist but it never occurred to put them in my first aid kit. I now realize that they are an excellent tool for flushing wounds.

No Rinse Cleansing & Deodorizing Bathing Wipes: One wipe is more than enough for a complete “bath”. These are a good backup when traditional showers are not available such as the week or weeks following a disaster. Also good for the sick room as well as camping, boating, hiking and such. Here is my review.

Spark Naturals Health and Wellness Kit: This kit comes packaged in a tin and includes a brochure with suggested uses for each of the oils. It includes all of my favorites, including Lemon, Frankincense, Oregano, Melaleuca (Tea Tree), Rosemary, Lavender, Amend (Soothing Blend), Respire (Respiratory Blend), Shield (Protective Blend), and Peppermint. Use the discount code “BACKDOORSURVIVAL” to receive a 10% discount.

For over 25 years Emergency Essentials has been providing the highest quality preparedness products at great prices. Plus, each month they feature sales that quite honestly are fantastic. This month give the gift preparedness.

Need something from Amazon (and who doesn’t)? I earn a small commission from purchases made when you begin your Amazon shopping experience here. You still get great Amazon service and the price is the same, no matter what.

Amazon has a feature called Shop Amazon – Most Wished For Items. This is an easy tool for finding products that people are ‘wishing” for and in this way you know what the top products are. All you need to do is select the category from the left hand side of the screen.

Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!

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Essential Oils for the First Aid Kit

Consider adding an assortment of health and wellness related essential oils to your first aid kit. At a minimum, include melaleuca (tea tree), lavender, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, and clove oils. At a cost of less than $45, these six essential oils will serve you well in a wide variety of first aid and emergency situations.

Comments

This is great information Gaye! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. We have been thinking about putting something like this together, but just didn’t have a clue on where to even start. Several of the items you listed I had never even heard of before, but after reading about them, I can see the benifit to having them. I think we will be putting something very similar together as a starting point and then see what we think works better for us. Thanks again Gaye.

Glad that this helpful! Be sure to let me know if you decide to include something important that I have forgotten. I still have a bit of space at the top and 10 or 12 ounces to work with. One thing I may do is repackage the betadine and only include half the volume since the original bottle is large and heavy.

Thanks Gaye. It just so happens that I have an empty ammo can 🙂 I also have just about everything you have listed, so don’t need to purchase many items. I read all your posts and the info is very helpful and good to know in these times. Thanks again.

That is the great think about this kit. Most of us have the stuff already; we just need to get it organized. Don’t forget to get the sticker! You can probably find one at an office supply or craft store. Given where I live, my only choice was Amazon.

I thought about Duct tape but went with the vet wrap (self sticking cohesive wrap) instead because I could also use it on my dog. I still have a big bag of paper tape but left that out as well. It is all about choices given weigh and size limitation. You notice, however, I made room for a flashlight 🙂

Great idea! You mentioned the medical waste bag- I keep rolls of the doggy poop bags stashed in the house and car. They are small, on a convenient roll, and great for small but messy jobs. A couple of these in the ammo can could be handy.

Also, are you going to list out your supplies for the other scenarios? Sick room, trauma, routine stuff, etc…?

Yes I am. Right now I have everything sorted in individual bankers boxes as I work through the inventory and organization process. Good idea abut the pooper-bags.

BTW, I consider my Ammo FAK to be my “routine” kit as well. Since I do not have a lot of storage space, I keep it in a niche next to my dresser with a wastepaper basket on top. Just like the garden, I sometimes have to go vertical.

Cipro? I wouldn’t take that stuff even if my life seemed to depend upon doing so.

Antibiotic Alert: The Drug the Doctor Ordered Could Cause Deadly Side Effects, By Joseph Mercola

“Tendon rupture, retinal detachment, hallucinations, personality changes, kidney failure, brain fog, psychosis and loss of memory have all been reported following use of fluoroquinolones. […]

Avoid Cipro and Other Fluoride Antibiotics or Run the Risk of SEROIUS Side Effects

If your doctor prescribes you one of these dangerous antibiotics ask him or her to use another one. It is uncommon that this would be the only one that could be used. These dangerous antibiotics should be used as a last resort only. If you do wind up using them then read the package insert and all the warnings VERY carefully and stop them the moment you notice a side effect.”

We use Cipro, Rocephin, Flagyl, etc. all the time in the ER and while serious side effects are possible, they are extremely rare. Sensitivity or allergy to one of them is certainly a possibility if you have never had the drug before. The key here is to know which drugs to take for what micro-organism. Since you will not have a lab available to identify the gram positive or negative organism, broad-spectrum antibiotic in dry/powder form would best suit your kit. KNOW what you are taking, WHAT you are taking it for and possible side effects.

In a survival situation, risk management is a requirement.

Remember, all drugs have side effects, including aspirin, Motrin and Tylenol.

Another great idea, Gaye. And great comments from your readers. Ditto on the addition doggie poop bags; how about airsickness bags/ ziplock bags? Also, my IFAK kits all have at least one hand/foot warmer and one of the cheap, one-time-use mylar blankets for keeping victims/patients warm(er). Not the best, but super light and even adding several you’d still be under your 10 lb. limit.

The little entrepreneur in my is wondering on the pricing out of a kit like this. Besides the awesomeness factor and customability, any inherent reason to do this over putting say a Walmart Red Cross kit into a ammo box?

A major item you forgot , TOOTH ACHE MEDICINE . I keep a small bottle of tooth ache drops and a small package of the medicated tooth packing medicine . Don’t take up much space and believe me a bad tooth can take you completely out of the game.

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MEET GAYE

I'm Gaye, just an ordinary gal trying to make sense of our changing world. I am addicted to prepping, DIY projects, adult coloring books, and ballroom dancing. I live what I call a strategic life and believe you should too. Everyone needs to prepare for the worst and live for the best. Won't you join me?

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